The first few days in Darwin we spent with Jackie and Mark mostly eating lunch out. The Darwin ski club was great food , the trailer club terrible. Both were on the waterfront.
We went to the Mindi markets ,John got his new hat and we saw a great sunset off the beach.
John and Mark did the aviation museum ,Jackie and I did the art museum with a extract on cyclone tracey.
Drinks were had at Cullen Bay at the greek Taverna.
Meantime, as a few days had past, our car that we thought was repaired wasnt and Toyota had to come and take it back for more repairs.
Jackie and Mark left for a week
and we spent the week driving different areas of Darwin, out to Leas point and the nightcliff areas and around the Zen Quarter. We had lunch at Stokes pier and icecream near the water wave pool.
Other areas explored were Fannie Bay, east area, Cullen Bay areas and the park and war memorial area overlooking the waterfront.
Also we did a sunset Rib boat cruise with fish and chips. A Great sunset and views towards Darwin.
When Jackie and Mark returned we had a boozy lunch ( except me the driver) at Stokes Hill wharf with oysters and prawns. Ran into Jenny Obrien from home there ,a nice catch up.
Cox Pensinula
We left Darwin for the Cox Peninsula.
First stop was Berry Springs, nice stop for swim and float down the creek.
Then as we reached the north Cox Peninsula area we saw the scenery become flat bush with tall grasses and huge numbers of different ferns and palms.
We reached Wagait , our stop for one night and after booking to our van site in someone front yard, we visited the west beach area and the Mandorah jetty plus the war airplane wreckage site where the B24 Milady wreck crashed on the 17th Jan 1945 killing 6 men, the crew of Lieutenant Bobby Neal.
53 planes were lost part of the 380 th bomb group. A drink was had at the Cox country club.
Then on to Tumbling Waters for 1:5 days of relaxing before being called to Sydney for Johns mum .
Her health appeared end of life but she recovered and just as we got back to Darwin 10 days later she broke her femur and survived that too.
We had our last three nights in Tumbling Waters , me sick with a nasty cold and packing for England Greece and Turkey.
